Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-03-30
THE LATEST HORROR.
Twelve Lives Lost in Fire at Bessemer
Mich.

Twelve Lives Lost in q Fire at Bessemer,
Mich.
BEssEMER, Mich, March 23.-At
about 4 O'Clock this morning, the
Colby mine clearinghouse at this
place was destroyed by fire. Twelve
of the occupants were burned to death,
and number of others seriously in
jured. The following is 81 list of the
dead: James Ryan, Simon Riszo,
John Garvey, Max Prividel, John
Ball, John Lyon, VIM. Williams, John
Sutton, J. Brassa, Ole -, Henry
Saom, unknown man. At the
time of the confagration the house
was occupied by twenty-one miners,
the boarding boss and his vile and
two female servants. The occupants
of the building were all asleep and it is
not known exactly how the fire origi-
mated. 1t is supposed, however, that
the fire started In the sitting room on
the first floor. Frank Miller, the pro-
prietor of the house, and his wife, and
two servants occupied rooms on the
lower floor.
Mrs. Miller wSs awakened In some
manner and Immediately aroused her
husband. When he awoke, the room
adjoining, which was occupied by the
two servants, was prey to the
flames, and it was with the utmost
difficulty that the four escaped with
their lives. The flames spread so rap
idly that it was impossible to give any
alarm to the occupants of the rooms
above. There were twenty-one min
ers on the second floor, and those who
escaped say that when they awoke
the whole house was evidently one
mass of flame. A number of the men,
who happened to awake, made their
escape by jumping from the windows.
Several persons who thus escaped had
limbs broken, but there were no faUal
injuries.
James Lynch, one of the occupants
of the place, says that there were four
other persons in the same room with
him. he was awakened by room
mate clambering over him towards
the windows. The room was full of
smoke and flame at the time and he
barely succeeded in breaking open q
window and making his escape. The
four others were also awakened and
the last he saw of them they were
making their way towards the win
dow. However, the flames spread so
rapidly that all four persisted, he being
the only one who escaped from the
room. Among the other occupants
who persisted were four men who had
Just been employed on the previous
evening and slept in the house that
night for the first time.
The burned building was located on
an open piece of ground only q short
distance from where the mine is being
operated at the present time. The at
tention of the night gang of workmen
was called to the flames, but by the
time they arrived at the scene the
place was almost totally destroyed
and it was too late to save the lives
of any of the men. The victims are
nearly all single men and strangers,
and it is not known where their homes
are. With g. few exceptions they are
foreigners, having only recently come
to this country.
When the charred remains were re-
moved from the debris of the burned
building it was impossible to idenUify
them, so badly were they burned.
The boarding house was large frame
structure lightly put together and it
was not long from the time the fire
was first discovered until it was
burned to the ground. The victims
will be buried tomorrow. Work has
ceased temporarily at the mine out of
respect for the dead.
The loss to the building is estimated
Mt from $4,000 to $4,000, which is
partially covered by insure7'oa.
Bessemer is one of the towns on the
Gogebic range which has grown up
during the past five years with the in
fux OF people attracted to the range
by the rich iron discover
les. 1t is about eight miles from the
Wisconsin state line and the same dis
lance from Hurley. 1t is on the line
of the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & West
ern road. The population is about
1000. Much rivalry exists between